Top six favorites: Moss Mountain Farm

I was fortunate enough to snag an invite to Moss Mountain Farm last week. P. Allen Smith and Arkansas Grown hosted Farm2Home14 at his extraordinary farm on the banks of the Arkansas River. Nothing I can write will possibly do justice to my Moss Mountain Farm experience. No way.

I have managed to narrow down my top six favorite things about the day in no particular order because that’s expecting too much.

1. Poultry. P. Allen Smith raises heritage breeds and has made it his mission to create interest in poultry farming among Arkansas children. His Poultry Palace is the Ritz-Carlton of chicken coops. Impressive!

Poultry Palace

2. Porches. When you are blessed with a sweeping view of the Arkansas River, you must create a spectacular porch, right? The entire back of P. Allen Smith’s home is devoted to porches, a downstairs dining and sitting porch and an upstairs sleeping porch complete with copper bathtub.

Downstairs Dining Porch

Most Perfect Sleeping Porch Ever

3. Farmers. Meeting and talking with local Arkansas farmers was a highlight for me. These farmers are passionate, committed, hard-working and dedicated to educating the people of Arkansas about the benefits of growing and eating local.

Scott Heritage Farms – fashionable farmer:)

Take a look at the beautiful baked goods from Ethan’s Heirloom Gardens. Ethan’s Heirloom Gardens is a natural/sustainable grower of both heirloom plants and produce. Even their recipes are heirloom, many dating back to the 1800s. If you live in Central Arkansas, be sure to check them out.

4. Gardens. Theflower gardens were as gorgeous as any botanical garden I’ve visited.

Gigantic Lilies…

And the vegetable garden? I could only dream of growing such a bounty. The air smelled fresh and green. It was all I could do not to drop to my knees and begin working in the dirt. Or cry. I almost cried several times. It was one of those experiences. I picked warm berries fresh from the vine.

Vegetable Garden at Moss Mountain Farm

5. Food. The food provided was enough for an entire weekend. Maybe a week! It goes without saying that everything was fresh and local and make-your-eyes-roll-back delicious. Lunch included US Foods 2013 Next Top Product Winner—the black bean burger created by Chef Jerrmy of Greenhouse Grille in Fayetteville. Love.That.Restaurant. Don’t you? (Chef Jerrmy and his family sat at my table for lunch. I tried to finagle the Greenhouse Grille quinoa recipe from him… I’m still hopeful.)

Following a huge lunch which included the incredible dessert you see below, local farmers brought tasty samples of their goodies (salsa, bread, wine, beer, ice cream, fruit, veggies, cookies, fried pies, everything). And if that wasn’t enough grazing, the day ended with appetizers, cocktails, and live music beneath a 300-year-old Post Oak. Heaven in Arkansas, people.

6. Friends. I loved hanging out with all my Arkansas Women Blogger friends and new friends from Moss Mountain Farm and Arkansas Grown. Such fun! How did I get so lucky?

Reading your blog is always a treat. I always feel like I’m experiencing everything right along with you. Moss Mountain does sound wonderful – happy you were able to go. Would love for you to drop by sometime!

Oh, what an amazing experience, Talya! I love the restaurants in our area which try to buy from local farmers – always fresh and delectable.
Your photos were great, too, and really brought the story home.
Blessings!

Talya Tate Boerner

Hi! I'm Talya. Thanks for visiting Grace Grits and Gardening where I share stories of food, farm, family and fun. After thirty years in Texas, I recently returned to my home state of Arkansas. I live and blog in Fayetteville, try to do something creative every day, and believe most any dish can be enhanced with a side of collards. My debut novel, The Accidental Salvation of Gracie Lee, is available via Amazon, Barnes & Noble and through local Indie bookstores.